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Saturday, March 31, 2012

I've sent four years of my K10 in a Catholic university. Di ako naging santa. whew.

That was when during first Thursdays of the month, all classes were cancelled in the high school division and a makeshift confessional box was brought to each classroom. Kailangang magconfess kami ng aming kasalanan so that the following day which was First Friday, we can receive Holy communion, I did not confess to the priest assigned to our class. Kaya alam ng mga are kung sino ang nagchcheat, I went to confession to a church near our home so during the time when classes were suspended, I was just Noynoying.

Before the end of the school year, a Holy retreat was required not only to the graduating students but also to non-graduating ones. , This was when friendships were sealed. After every homily, we gave away to our friends, beautiful estampitas. Usually, the big estampitas went to the closest friends. So if you received an ordinary and small estampitas, you're not in. O di va. Kung baga sa facebook, you are not a friend.

You can see the most popular student among us. She held the thickest pile of estampitas that if they were the basis of entry to the paradise, she did not have to pass thru an eye of a needle.

I received only less than 10 estampitas, I was that unpopular. I was more concerned about the honor list because scholarships were awarded to the top ten students. My closest friend who belonged to the lowest section asked me If was not bothered that I did not belong to the clique. I just laughed it off. One day, our adviser called for me. She asked if the report that I cheated in the exam was true--a rumor circulated by a group of ladies who did not want to be ignored. My teacher in math said that I would never cheat and could not cheat because the exams of algebraic equations were written in the blackboard during the exams. Butata sila.

They tried it again to another classmate who did not want to join any group. She cried the whole day because of the nasty things that this group sread among students. After she was cleared, she joined me. May dalawa na akong alipores. heheheWhen I started working in an accounting firm, I had an officemate who did only graduate from a Catholic university. She had also a friend who was formerly a nun. She went out of the convent because of the intrigues inside among nuns. Mga tao rin naman kasi sila.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

I will be going to the hospital, an hour from now for my surgery. Ahhh, I miss my chocolate drink and oatmeal cookie this morning. I am not allowed to take anything except my meds since midnight.

Last night, I've dreamed that I was walking (hindi sa Tuwid na daan, ahoy) towards a place where coconut trees grow. Someone painted the coconuts white so that they looked more like huge eggs. As I passed them, I was heading towards a dark place (may blackout, hehehehe) and my feet just would not move.

I woke up and went to the bathroom. When I slept again, I had the same dream; white eggs and the dark place where I would not go. Ayaw talaga ng brownout.

This morning, I read that the Legacy CEO died of cancer. It is just unfortunate that the alleged billions that he bilked from depositors did not save his life.No, I do not think it is a punishment for his alleged crime because if that is so, even the victim of the scam who lost 20 million pesos and has cancer is also being punished? Paano na lang ang cancer treatment niya? The other day, I received the bill for my first surgery. I thought it was for the entire operation. Hinayupak, anaesthesia lang pala yon na good for six hours. Almost 3 k. Blag.

Standardized test scores have been at the forefront of national and local efforts to improve schools. Test performance was the centerpiece of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which demanded higher classroom accountability. Tougher teacher evaluations that many states are rolling out place more weight than ever on the tests.

Lesson for the day- Survey says:

I just don't criticize for the sake of criticism although I am aware that these things are not meant serve their real purpose. But I want to inform if not share my little knowledge about some stuff .

1. Target Respondents

The choice of the samples of the targeted population is very important. If you want to find out about a teleserye, your target respondents should be those who are regularly following the series. Otherwise, you have a lot of neutral answers in the questionnaire.

Take for instance the quesionnaire used to oll the students (as if naman naniniwala ako), only 19 and 8 per cent declared that they are regularly following the impeachment trial.

“Fifty-seven percent, 69 percent and 84.3 percent of AdMU, DLSU and AdDU [respondents] said they occasionally followed the trial while 19 percent, 19 percent and 8 percent [respectively] said they were following it regularly,” she added.

So how can they express opinion? Thru reading the news? I believe these students. Rather than watch the proceeding, they would refer to go malling, texting and or studying than listening to the trial which could not be understood by ordinary people.

Period when surveys were conducted

If the surveys were conducted at different periods, the results would be affected by the latest development in the trial. Comparative na yon. Para bang nagtanong ka ng kasalukuyang umiiyak ang babae dahil iniwanan siya ng boyfriend niya at nagkabalikan sila. Tanungin mo sina Vicki.

The polls were conducted at AdMU from March 11 to 15, at DLSU and AdDU from March 22 to 25, at TSU from March 13 to 14 and at UE from March 13 to 15.

Pretesting

Questionnaires need to be pretested. There was no mention about it. (Oh well, naniniwala ba talaga ako?)Instead, they provided a template which some questions were changed. Were they leading questions? Were they simple enough for students to understand. What should be the trust rating?

While the SCAP provided the participating school organizations with a survey template, the student groups were allowed to modify some questions according to their interest.Questions common to all schools were about Corona’s trust rating, the students’ interest in the impeachment trial and whether they think he should remain as Chief Justice,

Sample size

Why they selected 2000? What is the total population? How was this number distributed to the different schools? (Oh well, sinabi na kasing hindi ako naniniwala).

More than a week ago, I saw in the news a special feature of a car accident where the lone survivor narrated that she saw her friends (they were drunk when the car was totaled) left her. She said she was shouting at them not to leave but then she could not believe that they could just easily get up and walked. All of them were inside the crashed vehicle.

It was only when she was saved that she realized it may have been the souls of her friends who stood up and walked away from the scene of the accident. Her friends died in the crash.

Second surgeryI will have my surgery tomorrow. The beauty of the new technology is that I did not have to go to the hospital for preop. They just referred to my medical records which I updated in their database. The phone call from the preop nurse was just meant for instructions.

Last night I have a dream. It was my friend who died of breast cancer. In the dream, she knocked at my door and told me that she is the one who is going to fetch me, NGIIIIIIII. I looked for my mom and made sumbong that she is now getting me. NGIIIIIII.

Monday, March 26, 2012

The best time to buy real estate properties is during recession when foreclosures are left and right. The property that you can buy may be cheaper than your high-end car.

My friend was able to buy the house that cost almost a million dollars for half its price. He was the highest bidder. Houses in California before the subprime mortgage crisis averaged about US$500,000 for a two to three bedroom single detached house. The flippers (those who buy foreclosed or damaged houses for as low as 50,000 US$ in some states and renovate them) make as much as more than 100 per cent profit.

Recession in the US does not necessarily affect all professionals. Filipinos have one or more houses in the US and a vacation or condo unit in the Philippines. Unlike in the Philippines, they can work at least two jobs. Just take a look at the remittance to the Philippines. Some experts are predicting that the remittances are going to be reduced considerable with the recession in the US but it did not happen.

Robles asked:

Can a physical therapist raising two children and drawing salary from a hospital afford a pricey condo ON TOP OF a three-bedroom house in Roseville, California almost at the same time?

Oh yes. The physical therapist earns more per hour compared to nurses. The average annual salary is US$ 74,895 for entry level for eight hour work per day. The practice is that physical therapists work in more than one hospital or are sent by registries to rehab which needed estra PT. Even caregivers can afford to buy at least two houses in the US. The $ 245,000 condo is not pricey. With a down payment of $ 24,000, the monthly amortization may not even exceed 1,000 dollars a month. If it is rented out, then the condo is self-paying property. Buy a condo here in the Washington DC area.

Kailangang maregaluhan ng appointment directories:

Malacañang on Sunday denied it snubbed the head of the World Council of Churches, explaining that President Benigno Aquino III could not meet with the Protestant leader on Friday because of the state visit of the Amir of Kuwait.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the meeting between Mr. Aquino and the Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, secretary general of the World Council of Churches, did not push through due to “scheduling constraints on both sides.”

How long will it take to meet during courtesy call? If there are constraints in one day, can there be no possible rescheduling?

Many of our perceptions and attitudes today about mistresses have deep roots in tradition and history.

Writing around 1604, the Jesuit Pedro Chirino observed, “…I suspect that the alliances formed by (Visayans) are not marriages, but rather the taking of concubines, considering the readiness with which they divorce and marry again, according to the custom of the country…”

The Spanish official Antonio de Morga, in his “Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas” (1609) and republished by Rizal with commentary, also observed that Filipino “…marriages were annulled and dissolved for slight cause,” upon the examination and judgement of the relatives of both parties, and of the elders.

But Morga points out that generally, Filipinos “…considered one woman whom they married, as the legitimate wife and the mistress of the house.” She was called the asawa (consort).

“Those whom they kept besides her they considered as friends. The children of the first were regarded as legitimate and whole heirs of their parents; the children of the others were not so regarded, and were left something by assignment, but they did not inherit.”

Fray Andres de San Nicolas, writing in 1664 of Cuyunon (of Palawan) and Kalaghans (of Surigao del Sur), noted that traditionally, “they had as many concubines as they could support.” That is, the first or legitimate wife headed the house, supervising the other women in household chores and productive enterprises (such as weaving). Polygamy was a way of expanding the alpha male’s labor force.

Spanish contact challenged the existing norms of gender relations. San Nicolas cited the case of Ynuc, the chief of Tandag (Surigao del Sur), who had 2,000 slaves. He was talked by the Recollect missionary into “sending all the concubines from his house, and marrying the first wife (in Christian rites, and thus bound by Spanish laws)…” aside from freeing all his slaves.

By no means was the moral campaign waged only on the natives. In his report to the Spanish king in 1577, Gov. Francisco de Sande reported how he was trying to improve the moral standing of his soldiers, outlining his measures against gambling, stealing, drinking, fighting and other forms of corruption, including concubinage. “It is desirable that the soldiers should always lead honest lives; but as they are young, and the women in this country are so many and so bad, it is more difficult to correct this evil…”

A colonial official, Hernando de los Rios Coronel, writing in 1620, reporting on the Manila-Acapulco galleons, noted that passengers and sailors took with them slave women who were their concubines (some of whom were sold, at great profit, in Mexico). De los Rios cited the case of “a certain prominent official who carried with him 15 of these women and some were delivered of children by him, while others were pregnant, which made a great scandal.”

In fact, in Europe, the Office of the Holy Inquisition was instituted to root out heresy (including witchcraft), but by the time Philip II had it established in Mexico (and by extension the Philippines) in 1570, its mission had become very different.

Bigamy

A document dated March 1, 1583, giving instructions for the resident commissioner of the Office of the Holy Inquisition in Manila, noted that the Inquisitor is “…expected to investigate various crimes, especially that of bigamy…” (among the Europeans in the colonies). The crime was proven by presenting evidence on the existence of the first wife at the time of the second marriage.

There were different rules for Chinese immigrants to the Philippines. There were strict limitations on the entry of Chinese women throughout most of the Spanish regime. Instead, they encouraged the conversion of Chinese men to Catholicism, and their marriage to Christian natives, despite already having wives in the mainland.

Their full-blooded sons would someday be permitted to migrate to the Philippines, to join their half-siblings by their Filipina stepmothers.

After their tours of duty in the colony, Spanish government officials usually left behind their Filipina wives or mistresses and half-caste children.

Many of the Caucasians who stayed till the day they died were members of the clergy. Writing in 1852, Sinibaldo de Mas pointed out “…one cannot exaggerate the harm that a goodly portion of the friars are doing, and the moral force that our government is losing because of the manner in which they are living. The most general weakness is that of concubinage. Many keep a mistress (called a stewardess or despensera), inside or outside the convent.”

But “…a fault 10 times more harmful than (adultery) is that of avarice, fed by the practice of trading. It is well-known that the mode of trading (in the Philippines) usually consists in usury, that is, in advancing money in order later to receive products in kind at a very low price…the minister, as soon as he becomes a speculator, thinks little or nothing of the means so long as they conduce to the increase of his capital.

“Sometimes, this vice is united with the first, and the stewardess or her husband—who is generally one of the servants of the convent, whom the friar has married to her, in order to save appearances—is in charge of gathering inventory, storehouses, shops, sales, etc.”

A specific case he mentioned was of a parish priest in Ilocos Norte, who controlled the indigo trade in his area over the years. The friar “boasted that he intended to take his P40,000” (equivalent to P60 million in buying power today) “…and enjoy life with a female companion…” It is therefore no wonder that some old fortunes in the country were founded on the wealth established by friar ancestors.

The above historical background is the setting for today’s perceptions and attitudes toward mistresses in the Philippines. Linguistic analysis also provides us with some clues on this social phenomenon.

‘Illicit caress’

Classical Tagalog terms for mistress or concubine are kalunya and kaagulo. The former is from the root word alunya, or “illicit caress.” Ka+alunya is someone you share illicit caresses with. There is also kaapid, and pakikiapid (“fornication”) from apid: “illicit coitus.”

In Bikol, mistresses are called kasaroan or sambay; in Ilokano, kamalala; in Kapampangan, sesay or lugud; in Maranao, sandil; in Cebuano, puyupuyo. In many other Philippine languages, “the other woman” is simply called babae, babaye, bii.

In Filipino-Spanish, the term usually used to refer to mistresses is querida (or kerida) derived from querer, which suggests that they are objects of love, affection, liking, fondness, desire. (A young girl is a chica, which became today’s slang “chicks”).

There are also the terms kulasisi and patiki, which are of colonial vintage. The first term is easily explainable: it refers to the small green parrot or parakeet, which became fashionable to keep in cages in the late 19th century; mistresses were compared to kept birds. Patiki is naughtier: it may refer to a sexual act where the female mimics the “bird (like kingfisher) that feeds on fish.”

Mistresses were young, pretty and more adept in pleasures of the flesh. But wives had to have unimpeachable morality, pedigree, education and property—qualifications which Josephine Bracken lacked.

Thus, Rizal’s mother and most of his siblings snubbed the half-caste from Hong Kong, who came to Dapitan as companion to a much older man she was not related to. She attempted to inherit from his estate, laying claim to Rizal’s library in Hong Kong which she could have liquidated quicker than any share in property due him.

Nevertheless, following Filipino custom, the Rizal family rebuffed her, despite Spanish claims that he married Bracken shortly before he was executed.

The 20th century saw the unabated practice of concubinage in Philippine society. In fact, under the rule of the more secular Americans, morals were viewed more liberally. American Caesars such as Gen. Douglas MacArthur was besotted with a stage actress, and Gov.Gen. Frank Murphy was linked to a socialite who wielded her influence well into the 1960s.

Adultery and concubinage increasingly became a function of power and in fact, to a large extent, became more and more socially acceptable. It is no secret that more Philippine presidents broke their vows of monogamy than kept them, and infidelity certainly did not affect—in fact, may have enhanced—voting numbers.

There are stories, such as those told by Jorge Vargas and Carlos Quirino, of their walking inadvertently into scenes of engagement in affairs other than of the state that would have embarrassed others, but which left Manuel L. Quezon unflustered. A successor not only played around but kept another family, giving his name to a son, and establishing a lineage that begat a beauty queen.

Gomez supposedly said: “To be sure—the Coronas do not have any piece of real estate registered in any of their names in the vicinity searched. However…Renato C. Corona is reflected as ‘has liven in’ 1401 Bayshore Blvd. Tampa, Florida 33606-3001.

Robles went on to ask: “Who is this Renato Corona found in US public records who is identified as being related to Cristina, Carla, Francis and Charina Corona who is said to ‘live’ in the US?”

She also asked: “If this is indeed CJ, does this mean Corona is a US citizen or a greencard holder? He did stay for two years in the US while studying in Harvard, but this university is in Massachusetts; and not in Florida or California where the addresses linked to one Renato C. Corona are located.”

Hahaha, for someone who had lived in the States, di ba she should know that a student visa is enough for someone to stay in the US. This is extendable. For him to be a US citizen, he shoud have lived in the US for three continuous years in case he was petitioned by the children. No gap, that means, he can not take a long vacation.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Nahhh,I am not expressing love to someone. It literally means heart. Yesterday, I had echocardiogram. Unlike the first time, I had it in 2007 when I could not see the screen, I had the chance to see my HEART beating and creating that noise, blag, blag, blag. Hindi siya hugis puso. Puso ng saging pwede pa.

The tech said that I got a GOOD heart. Di mabait kung hindi maayos. I kidded her (foreigner siya, immigrant from Europe) that I thought I am already heartless. The joke did not sink in at once. hehehe.

Kaya pala dami kong dinaanang mga sigwa sa buhay, yong puso ko, tumitibok pa rin. After the procedure, I was escorted to the lobby. The room where I came from was dark so I have to make adjustment to my vision. In doing so, I was a little unstable that I looked for a seat to temporarily take a rest. The janitor ( he was also immigrant although he is colored) stopped me from sitting down. Naglilinis daw siya. Ang hinayupak, imbes na tulungan akong umupo, ibinaladra yong vacuum cleaner. Those seats are really for patients waiting in the emergency line. Pinalalakad pa niya ako doon sa mga upuan na malayo. Kaya nga walang tatalo sa Pinoy pagiging matulungin. Itong taong tao, inuna pa yong paglilinis niya kaysa sa matutumba.

But I insisted to sit down. If he was going to refuse once more, I am going to call the administrator. That hospital assures the patients of prompt and courteus service. That's the reason why they escort the patients to the lobby (there were four lobbies depending on the service) so that they do not have to get lost in the maze of hallways. The patients are also encouraged to get the attention of the administrator in case no one is attending to them after over 15 minutes of waiting.

But I did not complain. I know he is also an immigrant and he must be on a probationary basis yet. I do not want him to lose his job because of demerits. If that work attitude will continue, sooner or later, he will be kicked out of that service-oriented facility.

Before I left, I said thank you for allowing me to sit down PORWAHILE. He just nodded. He could not look at me. Then came some Caucasians. I observed him. He did not say anything. Was it because of his encounter with me or sinusubukan din niya kung sino ang mabubully niya?

When I was a kid, my favorite part of the newspaper was the puzzle that asked the readers to identify items which were not supposed to be included in the picture or which were out of place for the theme, i.e. summer with Santa Claus, etc. etc.

Now I played it once again. Can you tell what is wrong with this picture?

Is there a need to replace these people who are in charge of what is calledSTAGING.or photoops. Is he about to sign the document or just reading? If he's reading, he should be holding the highlighter. If he is about to sign, I hope it was not the same ball pen attached to the pen holding ornament. I have this notion that leaders/executives should have a pen only for signature's use so that the sig will no easily be forged .

But what exactly had Diaz done? Well, everyone from Miriam Defensor Santiago to Jinggoy Estrada could not believe why the LRA chief did not appear to exercise any care or diligence when his office released a list of 45 properties supposedly owned by the chief justice.That disclosure now appears to be the cue for the anti-Corona media to join the prosecution, Diaz and, ultimately, the prime mover of the entire sorry process, President Noynoy Aquino himself, in jumping on the chief justice. As the senators pointed out, LRA’s disclosure of this scandalous number of properties may have permanently destroyed the image of Corona in the eyes of the public and even the Senate—which may have been the plan all along.

Sharon Cuneta, the megastar is in the fighting mood these days. First she admitted that she had been in a silent war with her aunt, Helen Gamboa. And now, she also bashed the tweeters who accused her daughter KC of being abortionist. She identified the bashers to be Piolo fanatics.Noted your honor.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

. What is with some people? If the defense witness of the impeachment trial does not depose anyhing they may agree on, they called her/him names, criticized how he/she looked short to saying Bawal ang pangit dito.

One such witness was branded by some "who think they're God- given gift to tweetdom as maarte, pangit, OA etc.. Wala namang ginagawa yong babae sa kanila. Her voice may not be angelic but she can articulate well. Did the pintaseros and pintaseras hear their own voices too?

Pero sabi nga ni Anne Curtis:Ladies and gentlemen, I am not a singer, (Annie Curtis) I am a performer. Ako naman except kung tutulay ako sa alambre, hindi ako singer at performer but I was a professor no matter how absent-minded I was.

Gaya ng lecture na ito, ang Comparability Principle (Puwedeng Pagkumparahin)Sabi nila ang SALN ay more for bean counters to discuss so that if I were a bean counter consulted, (mongo) comparability principle should have been applied in the preparation of the SALN. It tells us the story how the current SALN (yesterday) was derived. hmhmhm

Walking Around

Do not walk around the locker room nude. If you must walk somewhere, there should be a reason and you should wear a towel (at a minimum) or put on your underwear and, preferably, pants.

Walk with a purpose in the locker room...don't just stroll around naked, especially next to guys sitting on the benches putting shoes on, etc. This is rude. Last thing a guy trying to get psyched up for his workout and putting on his shoes needs to see is another guy's schlong at eye level.

Faith is my life

Healing Prayer

For the good times

I can see clearly now

Ghost

Life is like water

Pinaysaamerika

Tweet, tweet, tweety

About me

About the Blog

This is a blog about the adventures and misadventures of a Filipina in the US of A who wants to save the world from clutches of evil but is too lazy to don her costume. It also includes her reminisces of her journey of life in her birth country. Sinimulan ko ito ng 2004 at pansamantalang iniwan ng magbukas ako ng marami pang blogs katulad ng Now What, Cat?. Ngayon na pinahihinga ko ang aking pusa, dito naman ako nanggugulo.